90-Miler update by Jack after Day One:
NCMC represented for 30th consecutive time at 90. Who will the mantle pass to?
Some notable firsts:
Boat number not called at first paddle wave. Executive Director of Northern Forest Canoe Trail (which runs the race now) questioned our golden canoe status (for completing 20 races) and along with it right to first wave.
First in line at Walt’s (diner) arriving 10 minutes before it opened.
Dipping hat in lake to cool off. Hottest day in memory and today forecast as hotter.
Surf skis outnumbered solo canoes (unverified ) but you get the picture.
A woman in a wheelchair snapping pictures at Eigth Lake Campground said as we passed her, “You are the first one moving slow enough for us to get a picture.”
Giant Trump sign with Make American Great greeted us on entry to Utowana Lake. We would have ripped it down if we could have reached it. Mac commented later, “You and 100 other boats.”
Speaking of Mac – he did not catch Bill and I. But just about everyone else did including a perky young women on her surf ski noting how nice it was with Bill responding how miserable we felt. She became alarmed and slowed to try to cheer us up, pointing out the lovely scenery only to speed off shortly.
Mac reported drinking 5 liters of water ( we did fine on our usual 2 liter reservoirs).
Grace is thought to have passed us but we did not see her and her unwillingness to declare where the sledges (??) event occurred encourages skepticism. She is becoming our new Munsons.
Tough day for NCMC at 7 hours 15 minutes on the course. Thank God Mary was at finish having to wait an hour for our arrival. About 12 minutes slower than last year and felt even worse as lack of wind all day made for ideal conditions except for the heat. Bill declared in the middle of Brown’s Tract, “We are in survival mode.” Later, in middle of Marion River there was talk or hope of missing cutoff so we could be pulled out.
Assessment was we may have started too fast as once again we were in top five boats reaching bridge in Inlet. We even caught a 69-year-old Bruce Kennedy paddling with a
partner also 69. Bruce reported this was his 28th race and his partner’s 25th. Both very similar numbers to our boat. We pulled ahead of them for a time on Fourth Lake but then they retook the lead and we never saw them again.
Royal (Brian’s son) showed up in a 3 man kayak passing us in Sixth Lake like a blur.
All for now.
Time to get ready.
